Wood Piles

Here are the baluster turnings that I made while demonstrating at the NWA showcase. I went into the show a bit out of practice, not having turned balusters for a chair in some time, but after doing it for a couple of days, I feel like I'm back in the swing of it. In talking to the folks watching, I got some idea of the troubles that are common to learning to turn balusters and am planning a series of videos to post.


One doesn't have to look far in my region to find all manner of farm construction, from elegant and thoughtful barns to the crudest of shelters and fixtures. I have to admit a love of the rougher fare. There's something about building things in the service of necessity that I find freeing. You'll find no dovetails here (the fellow who helped me load my truck at the NWA had a dovetailed flat cart!).


When a new project arises, I look to my various piles of wood leftovers. Today it was a hay crib. I saw a drawing of one in a book and cobbled together a rough fascimile. Of course, once it was built, the real learning began. I now know why they call young goats kids. No sooner was it in their reach than one goat was standing on top of it and the other jamming his head in and pulling it over. So back to the wood pile for some stabilizing boards. Once it was done, and showed itself to function and be relatively goatproof, I looked at it and fantasized about making an elegant one. Someday I will, but for now, I can revel having been there when necessity came calling.